End of Watch (2012)

Shot documentary-style, this film follows the daily grind of two young police officers in LA who are partners and friends, and what happens when they meet criminal forces greater than themselves.

Director:

David Ayer

Writer:

David Ayer

Stars:

Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Peña, Anna Kendrick

2 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jake Gyllenhaal	...	Brian Taylor
Michael Peña	...	Mike Zavala
Natalie Martinez	...	Gabby
Anna Kendrick	...	Janet
David Harbour	...	Van Hauser
Frank Grillo	...	Sarge
America Ferrera	...	Orozco
Cle Shaheed Sloan	...	Mr. Tre (as Cle Sloan)
Jaime FitzSimons	...	Captain Reese
Cody Horn	...	Davis
Shondrella Avery	...	Bonita
Everton Lawrence	...	Man Friend
Leequwid 'Devil' Wilkens	...	CK
James 'Pistol' McNeal	...	DJ
Zone	...	Too Tall

Storyline

In South Central Los Angeles, street cops Brian and Mike are partners - balls-out cowboys patrolling the streets as Latino gangs are in a power struggle with Blacks. Brian and Mike get lucky a couple of times, making big drug and human-trafficking busts, so a Mexican cartel orders their deaths. We meet Mike's pregnant wife (whom he married out of high school) and watch Brian's search for a soul mate. There are internal squabbles within the ranks of the LAPD and lots of squad-car conversation. Can the lads escape the cartel's murderous reach?

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Plot Keywords:

pregnant wife | police officer | south central los angeles | human trafficking | hidden gun | 

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Taglines:

Every moment of your life they stand watch

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence, some disturbing images, pervasive language including sexual references, and some drug use

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [jp]

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

21 September 2012 (USA)

Also Known As:

Az utolsó műszak

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$7,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$13,152,683 (USA) (21 September 2012)

Gross:

$40,983,001 (USA) (11 January 2013)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Exclusive Media Group, Emmett/Furla Films, Hedge Fund Film Partners

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Sound Mix:

Datasat Dolby Digital

Color:

Color Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The scene roughly at the end of the movie where Mike and Brian are in pursuit of a silver minivan and then crash into it was not scripted. Michael Peña, who was driving the patrol car at that moment, actually crashed into the back of the minivan by accident. The director had removed the anti-lock brakes from the patrol car because it was shaking the camera and what the actors also didn't know was that the road that they were filming the scene on had recently been repaved, so when Michael Peña hit the brakes the patrol car skidded across the road for about a 150 feet right into the back of the minivan deploying the airbags.

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Goofs

When the 2 officers are performing the "Welfare Check" on the house, right as they are about to kick in the door the reflection of the window to the left of them shows a blue tent and several crew members in the back behind the scene.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Brian Taylor: I am the police, and I'm here to arrest you. You've broken the law. I did not write the law. I may disagree with the law but I will enforce it. No matter how you plead, cajole, beg or attempt to stir my sympathy. Nothing you do will stop me from placing you in a steel cage with gray bars. If you run away I will chase you. If you fight me I will fight back. If you shoot at me I will shoot back. By law I am unable to walk away. I am a consequence. I am the unpaid bill. I am fate with...

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Crazy Credits

This film is dedicated to the men and women of the law enforcement community who face danger daily on our behalf. It is especially dedicated to our fallen heroes who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. This is for all that fight evil so we may not know it. God bless you all.

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Connections

References Jeopardy! (1984)

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Soundtracks

"Mrs. Officer"
(uncredited)
Performed by Lil Wayne, featuring Bobby Valentino and Kidd Kidd
Tha Carter III (2008)
Written by Dwayne Carter, Jr., Robert Wilson, Darius Harrison, and Curtis Stewart
Published by Cash Money and Universal Motown

User Reviews

Found footage's finest so far - an intense cop thriller that feels real

If I were to pitch you a movie about two police officers who are partners on patrol in South Central Los Angeles, one of your first inclinations might be "not another buddy copy comedy." While "End of Watch" is often funny, the newest film from "Training Day" writer David Ayer, is no comedy.

Ayer, who spent a lot of time in South Central, takes the found footage approach to his latest film featuring the LAPD in the spirit of modern trends and perhaps the show "Cops."

It's hard to tell if Ayer's exaggerating, but a lot of dangerous stuff happens to Taylor (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Zavala (Michael Pena) despite being beat cops. So much so that they get involved with the wrong Mexican gang, and their attempts to go above and beyond to protect and serve put them in the line of fire.

Gyllenhaal and Pena have incredible chemistry as two cops who are best friends as well as partners. They epitomize the modern "bromance" in a number of ways, joking around, giving each other a hard time, offering love/dating advice with hyper-masculine sarcasm, etc. Ayer takes time to show these men out of their blues frequently to humanize them in a critical way. On the job, they are often cocky, proud and reckless, pushing the line of appropriate police behavior and protocol. They jump back and forth between making laudable, responsible choices and borderline police brutality.

The portrait that this paints of law enforcement feels so much more authentic than we're normally treated to in cop films and police procedurals on television. They are heroes and good, honorable men, but that doesn't make them beacons of morality. No matter how much you believe in the quickly escalating plot of "End of Watch," there's no disagreement to be had over the authenticity of the characters and the environment they operate in.

Although we do get independent "episodes" in which Taylor and Zavala respond to calls and find more than they bargained for, there's a through-line involving a powerful Mexican drug cartel and the gang that enforces it. Ayer glamorizes these thugs a little bit, but it makes them formidable villains in the story. As things come to a boil, the realism of the film really unravels in favor of a more compelling, heart-pounding finale.

Ayer takes certain liberties with the found footage style as well. The premise involves Taylor filming everything for a school project or something. He has a hand-held camera but also cameras positioned in the squad car, and ones that clip onto their uniforms. The gangs also carry cameras around to film their violent escapades. At times, however, we can't tell who is supposed to be holding the camera — like when Taylor starts making out with his girlfriend, Janet (Anna Kendrick). Neither is holding the camera, so that's a bit strange.

Still, that filmmaking style does more good than harm to the film. Say what you will about the found footage trend, but this is an appropriate example that really works. The extra layer of realism and authenticity that the technique gives to a film really goes miles in favor of "End of Watch."

Humor is an unexpected benefit of this film as well. Michael Pena has failed to be funny in films including "Tower Heist" and "30 Minutes or Less," but he succeeds in territory that blends it with the dramatic in this very organic way. It would be impressive if most of the dialogue in this film, at least between him and Gyllenhaal, weren't improvised given how natural it flows.

It sounds like a stretch to consider this one of the better acted films of the year, but Gyllenhaal and Pena should've been considered for awards contention. The nature of found footage detracts from what we tend to associate with/look for in an Oscar-worthy performance. We expect authenticity from found footage and only comment when it goes poorly, not when it's done exceptionally well. Having seen enough films made in the found footage style, no other two actors have done better in this genre.

"End of Watch" offers an intense look at the life of L.A.'s finest and a harrowing portrait of life in the barrios and gang-ridden parts of L.A. Although exaggerated at crucial points, it shows what can happen when officers try and step out of their clearance level. At the least, it's one of the best films found footage has given us to date.

~Steven C

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